Charamba Warns Varakashi Over Messaging Indiscipline

Presidential Spokesperson George Charamba has voiced concern over what he described as growing “messaging indiscipline” within the Varakashi movement, warning that loyalty to indi viduals other than President Emmerson Mnangagwa poses a threat to ZANU PF’s unity and ideological clarity.

In a post on social media platform X, Charamba revealed that he was instrumental in forming and managing the Varakashi group, an online unit of “ideologically clear and technically savvy cadres” tasked with defending the ZANU PF party, its policies, the government, and President Mnangagwa.

However, Charamba said the movement’s rapid growth and the spontaneous emergence of affiliates had created a fractured and uncoordinated communication environment that risked undermining the party’s central messaging. He wrote:

That isn’t a clever way of organizing communication and propaganda; it leads to loose management and fissiparous messaging, even leading to messaging indiscipline.

He warned that some of the newer affiliates appeared to be pledging allegiance to “lesser officials” rather than to the President, describing this trend as “injurious to the main line” of the party’s communication strategy.

Charamba stressed that ZANU PF remains a unitary party with a single leader and spokesperson, President Mnangagwa, and warned against elevating the public remarks of other officials, including Vice Presidents, to the level of policy declarations. He said:

[Mnangagwa] is the only person who is the face of the Party, and to whom all members and affiliates must pledge untrammeled loyalty for the duration of his mandate.

No other person enjoys such a status; no other person deserves support of defence approximating what he gets or should get.

The veteran spokesperson called for an immediate end to what he termed “idolising lesser officials” and the mischaracterisation of their statements as official party positions.

He also reiterated that all other officeholders merely represent the President and are appointed to explain, not originate, policy. Said Charamba:

There is quite some growing indiscipline in our messaging, including expressions of little loyalties to mere appointees or emissaries of the President.

Charamba’s remarks are the clearest indication yet of factionalism within the ruling party’s ranks ahead of the party’s elective congress in 2027.